Jarre was born Aug. 6, 1954, in Detroit, but not too long after, made the move to Los Angeles with his actress mother, Laura Devon.

His love of of American history, particularly the Civil War, helped inform one of his most acclaimed screenplays, Glory.

"I never thought I could interest anybody in it," Jarre told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. "A Civil War epic, about black people? But I'd got really attached to the story.... I'd end up in tears when I got through writing."

The film, starring Washington, Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman, went on to win three Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Washington.

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